3 things we love about Norah Jones

Critics may call her "Snorah Jones", but we've been following her career closely and we can't help disagree

Winning five Grammys for her 2003 debut Come Away With Me didn’t stop critics from calling her “Snorah Jones”. Harsher detractors described her music as the kind of predictable jazz you’d hear at open mic nights – songs about shooting stars, wishing she was a painter and pining over a lost lover, all set to sparse piano arrangements. But we’ve been following this gorgeous singer’s career pretty closely, and we’re fans of Miss Jones for several reasons. Here, our top three:

She’s badass
Well, at least when she really wants to be. In 2006, just when the world had gotten used to her sweet love songs, Jones sang “Sucker” with Mike Patton (of the Nineties alt/rock band Faith No More) for his Peeping Tom project. Key lyric: “What makes you think you’re my only lover/The truth kinda hurts don’t it, motherfucker?” More recently, she played ex-lover to the titular stuffed character in Seth McFarlane’s wickedly funny film Ted.

She’s collaborative
And she does it well. We’re no fans of forced fraternity, so Jones’ steps towards country (with her other band The Little Willies) and her penchant for blues classics (she appears on Ray arles’ last album Genius Loves Company) reveal a willingness to push boundaries – but not so far that the result sounds like a jarring sonic boom. Listen to her 2005 compilation …Featuring for some of her best collabs.

She’s honest
Sure, she’s good at soft romantic imagery, but she doesn’t mince her words all the time. Take, for instance, the superb murder ballad “Miriam” from Little Broken Hearts, in which she plainly tells the “other woman” that “I’m gonna smile when I take your life.” Chilling.

Norah Jones will play in New Delhi on March 5 and in Bangalore on March 8. For tickets go to bookmyshow.com